Six corner collapsible carton

ABSTRACT

A collapsible paperboard carton made from a single rectangular blank and having equal top and bottom panels spaced by a back panel equal to the front panel and front flap on the top panel, each of which panels have end flaps which extend outwardly only slightly more than half the height of the back panel. These end flaps have six creased triangular corners which are glued to the adjacent flaps so that the end flaps of the front and back panels form corner posts for the set-up carton. The end flaps of the top panel may have spaced notches to form a tuck-in flap between them for locking over the top edge of the end flaps of the bottom panel when the carton is set up. The back panel may be apertured for ventilation purposes.

Elnited States Prystup et a].

atent [54] SIX CORNER COLLAPSIBLE CARTON [72] Inventors: J. LesliePrystup, Madison; William E. McNair, Clinton, both of Miss.

[73] Assignee: Consolidated Packaging Corporation, Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Sept. 8, 1970 [21] Appl. No.1 70,322

[ 1 Aug. 29, 1972 FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 561,841 11/1957Belgium ..229/33 Primary Examiner-Donald F. Norton Attorney-Hugh AdamKirk [5 7 ABSTRACT A collapsible paperboard carton made from a singlerectangular blank and having equal top and bottom panels spaced by aback panel equal to the front panel and front flap on the top panel,each of which panels have end flaps which extend outwardly only slightlymore than half the height of the back panel. These end flaps have sixcreased triangular comers which are glued to the adjacent flaps so thatthe end flaps of the front and back panels form corner posts for theset-up carton. The end flaps of the top panel may have spaced notches toform a tuck-in flap between them for locking over the top edge of theend flaps of the bottom panel when the carton is set up. The back panelmay be apertured for ventilation purposes.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 29, 1972 2 Sheets-Shut 1 FIG.I

FIG. 4

INVENTORS FIG.2

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 29, 1972 3,687,353

2 Shoots-Shut 2 INVELTQRS J. LE E PRYSTU WILLI E. MCNA BY 1 ATTORNEY SIXCORNER COLLAPSIBLE CARTON BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

lapping flaps from two opposite side panels which requires larger areablanks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally speaking, the six corner gluedcollapsible Beer style box of this invention has the following materialimprovements of only employing about half height ends hinged to both thetop and bottom panels thereby materially saving board, and providing arectangular blank which may be cut from sheets of board withsubstantially no wastage or need for nesting of the blanks. Furthermorethe flaps on the front and back panels act as posts to strenghten thebox so that the reduction in the amount of board in the ends does notweaken the box. Furthermore, if desired, notches may be provided in oneof the end flaps, preferably the top, between which a locking flap isformed for snapping over the top edge of the bottom end flaps forlocking the box in its closed position. Since boxes of this type areoften used for packaging carry-out foods such as fried chicken and thelike, apertures may be provided in one of the panels such as the backpanel for ventilation purposes and for the escape of steam or vaporswhich may collect inside the carton when it is filled.

Specifically, the single piece blank for the carton of this inventioncomprises equal top and bottom rectangular panels spaced by a back panelhaving the height of the box hinged to adjacent edges of the top andbottom panels and a front panel equal to the back panel hinged to thefront edge of the bottom panel. The top panel may have a similar frontpanel hinged to its front edge, however, such does not have to be offull height of the carton. Each of these five panels have hinged attheir ends equally outwardly extending flaps. These flaps on the top andbottom panels provide half height sides for the ends of the carton andcontain folded diagonal corners which are glued to the flaps on thefront and back panels. Thus this carton is completely assembled where itis manufactured, shipped in a knocked down position, and easily set upjust before being filled at its use location. Since the end flaps extendonly slightly more than half the height of the back panel, the ends ofthe box are each half formed by the flaps at the ends of the top andbottom panels, while the end flaps on the front and back panels, whenthe carton is set up act as corner posts to strengthen the carton.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS The above mentioned and other features,objects and advantages, and the manner of attaining them are describedmore specifically below by reference to embodiments of this inventionshown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the improvedcollapsible six corner glued carton of this invention assembled and insetup closed position with locking flaps at its ends, and showing indotted lines how its top may be opened;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the substantially rectangular blank employed informing the carton shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the carton shown in FIG. 1 in its collapsed orknock-down position for storage and/r shipping;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the collapsed carton shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a back or rear view of the collapsed carton shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment of the cartonof this invention in which no end locking flaps are employed and withfull front corner post on the top panel; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the rectangular blank. employed in forming thecarton shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:

Referring first to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, the cartonor box is composed of a single folded blank 10 (FIG. 2) having gluedcorners on some of the flaps. This blank 10 comprises primarily the twolarger rectangular panels 11 and 12 which form the bottom and top of thebox, respectively. At the adjacent edges of these panels there is hingedalong crease lines 13 and 14, respectively, back panel 15 which has awidth equal to that of the height of the box. At the opposite frontedges of the bottom and top panels 11 and 12, respectively, are twofront panels 16 and 17 hinged along fold lines 18 and 19, respectively.

At the opposite ends of each of the panels ll, 12, 16 and 17 there areprovided flaps hinged along parallel crease lines 20 and 21. Each ofthese flaps extends outwardly from these lines 20 and 21 slightly morethan half the height or width of the back panel 15 or front panel 16, sothat when the box is assembled the outer edges of the end flaps 22 and23 on the bottom panel 11, and end flaps 24 and 25 on the top panel 12will slightly overlap as shown in FIG. 1.

Both corners of the bottom end flaps 22 and 23 are provided withdiagonal crease lines 26, 27 and 28, 29, respectively, which triangularportions are glued and attached to the corresponding adjacent portionsof the end flaps 30, 31, 32, 33 on the front and back panels 16 and 15as shown in FIG. 1. Thus the glued triangular portion adjacent thecrease line 26 is attached to the adjacent portion of end flap of theback panel 15, and the triangular glued portion adjacent the crease line27 is attached to the adjacent portion of end flap 31 of the front panel16. Similarly the triangular glued portion 28 is attached to the flap 32of the back panel 15 and the triangular glued portion along the foldline 29 is attached to adjacent end flap 33 of the front panel 16. Thuswhen these portions are so glued and assembled, the panels 30, 31, 32and 33 form corner posts of the box as shown in FIG. 1 and providerigidity to the box even though the end panels or flaps 22 and 23 on thebottom panel 11 do not extend the full height of the ends of the box.

Only the front ends of the end flaps 24 and 25 of the top panel 12 areprovided with diagonal crease lines 34 and 35, respectively, to formglued triangular portions attached to the end flaps 36 and 37,respectively, of the front lid panel 17. Since there are provided frontposts by the flaps 31 and 33, it is not essential that these flaps 36and 37 be the full length or height of the front panel 17.

These diagonal crease lines 26 through 29, 34, and 35 enable the box tobe collapsed into the position shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, by permittingthese flaps to be folded inwardly.

Since there is a slight overlap of the end panel 22 with 24 and 23 with25 as shown in FIG. 1, the flaps 24 and 25 may be provided with a pairof spaced notches 40 and 41, respectively, to provide between them atuck-in flap portion 42 and 43, respectively, which may be locked-inover the top edge of the bottom end flaps 22 and 23 as shown in FIG. 1.

Furthermore the back panel may be provided with ventilation apertures 45if desired, as can any other panel of the box.

There is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 another embodiment of this invention inwhich the blank for the carton or box is not provided with any lockingtabs, nor are the flaps at the end of the front panel hinged to the toppanel of shorter length. In this embodiment the blank 50 is completelyrectangular and is only provided with slits and fold lines and nocut-out portions whatsoever, except for the apertures 85 for ventilationin the back panel 55. This blank 50 is provided with bottom and topequal rectangular panels 51 and 52 and between and on each side thereofare also provided equal rectangular back and front panels 55, 56, and 57hinged together respectively along crease or fold lines 53 and 54 forthe back panel 55 and crease lines 58 and S9 for the two front panels 56and 57 hinged to the bottom and top panels 51 and 52, respectively.

All of the end flaps are similarly hinged to the central panels alongparallel fold lines 60 and 61, and each of the end flaps extend out fromthese lines the same distance in opposite directions, which distance isa little more than half the height or width of the back panel 55, or thedistance between fold lines 53 and 54. Thus the bottom panel 51 has endflaps 62 and 63, the top panel 52 has end flaps 64 and 65, the backpanel 55 has end flaps 70 and 72, the front panel 56 has end flaps 71and 73, and the front top flap panel 57 has full end flaps 76 and 77.Similarly as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the end flaps 62 and 63are provided with diagonal crease lines 66, 67, 6S and 69 at theircorners to provide glued triangle portions which are attached to the endflaps 70 through 73 of the back and front panels which form the cornerposts for the box as shown in FIG. 6. Also similar to the embodimentshown in FIG. 2, the top end panels 64 and 65 are only provided withdiagonal crease lines 74 and 75 to provide glued triangles which attachto the full end flaps 76 and 77 of the front top flap panel 57.

This box also may be collapsed after it is glued together in a fashionsimilar to that shown for the box of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 asshown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

It is to be clearly understood that the notches 40 and 41 shown in theembodiment f FIG 2 ma be added to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 andand/or the half height end flaps 36 and 37 may be substituted for thefull end flaps 76 and 77 shown in FIG. 7 without departing from thescope of this invention.

While there is described above the principles of this invention inconnection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood thatthis description is made only by way of example and not as a limitationto the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible paperboard carton made from a single rectangular blankcomprising:

A. equal rectangular bottom and top panels,

B. equal rectangular front and back panels, said back panel connectingsaid bottom and top panels by fold lines, and said front panel beingconnected by a fold line to the front side of said bottom panel,

C. a second rectangular front panel connected by a fold line to thefront side of said top panel,

D. flaps connected by fold lines to the opposite ends of each of saidpanels and extending therefrom substantially about half the height ofsaid back and front panels, said bottom panel end flaps each having twotriangular creased corner portions glued to the adjacent end flaps ofsaid equal front and back panels to form corner posts of said front andback panel end flaps that are as high as said front and back panels whensaid carton is set up.

2. A carton according to claim 1 wherein said second front panelconnected to said top panel is equal to said front and back panels.

3. A carton according to claim 1 wherein said second front end flaps areabout half the height of said second front panel.

4. A carton according to claim 1 wherein one of said panels is providedwith at least one ventilation aperture.

5. A carton according to claim 4 wherein said back panel is providedwith two spaced ventilation apertures.

6. A carton according to claim 1 wherein said end flaps on said toppanel are provided with spaced notches between said corner posts to formtuck-in flaps between said notches for locking inside the top edge ofsaid bottom end flaps when the carton is set up.

7. A carton according to claim 1 wherein said top panel end flaps eachhave one triangular creased corner portion glued to the adjacent. endflaps of said second front panel.

1. A collapsible paperboard carton made from a single rectangular blankcomprising: A. equal rectangular bottom and top panels, B. equalrectangular front and back panels, said back panel connecting saidbottom and top panels by fold lines, and said front panel beingconnected by a fold line to the front side of said bottom panel, C. asecond rectangular front panel connected by a fold line to the frontside of said top panel, D. flaps connected by fold lines to the oppositeends of each of said panels and extending therefrom substantially abouthalf the height of said back and front panels, said bottom panel enDflaps each having two triangular creased corner portions glued to theadjacent end flaps of said equal front and back panels to form cornerposts of said front and back panel end flaps that are as high as saidfront and back panels when said carton is set up.
 2. A carton accordingto claim 1 wherein said second front panel connected to said top panelis equal to said front and back panels.
 3. A carton according to claim 1wherein said second front end flaps are about half the height of saidsecond front panel.
 4. A carton according to claim 1 wherein one of saidpanels is provided with at least one ventilation aperture.
 5. A cartonaccording to claim 4 wherein said back panel is provided with two spacedventilation apertures.
 6. A carton according to claim 1 wherein said endflaps on said top panel are provided with spaced notches between saidcorner posts to form tuck-in flaps between said notches for lockinginside the top edge of said bottom end flaps when the carton is set up.7. A carton according to claim 1 wherein said top panel end flaps eachhave one triangular creased corner portion glued to the adjacent endflaps of said second front panel.